


Demons Resurfacing

by junko



Series: Senbonzakura's Song [24]
Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-11
Updated: 2014-07-11
Packaged: 2018-02-08 10:59:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,859
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1938387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junko/pseuds/junko
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just as Renji predicted, the biggest obstacle the two of them face... is each other</p>
            </blockquote>





	Demons Resurfacing

Renji glanced over when Rukia put a bit of grilled salmon on his plate. “You should let me, you know. You’re still a Kuchiki, even in private.”

Rukia opened her mouth, but it was Byakuya who answered. “And by that logic, you’re still a lieutenant and I your captain. Where does Rukia fit in that, as unseated?” To emphasize his point, Byakuya poured Renji’s tea, like he always did when they were alone together. “There is a time and a place for rank and station. However, my private suite isn’t one of them.” 

“Huh. Really? ‘Cuz that’s not exactly what I’ve experienced in the bedroom,” came out of Renji’s mouth before he could stop it. It seemed to him that bed was the one place they fought the most about this shit. If Rukia hadn’t been there, Renji might have kept right on, but instead he just took a sip of his tea and nodded: “But, hey, good to know.”

Byakuya, who had fallen into his usual contemplative study of the breakfast tray, glanced up sharply. 

Rukia looked back and forth between them, her expression wary. Renji could almost read in her eyes the: ‘are you guys fighting or something?’

Renji shook his head to her unspoken question. He shouldn’t have said it. He knew that. So, he tried to shrug it all off by reaching for some pickles. “Yeah, that was uncalled for. Forget I said anything.” Renji dug around for another subject, a safer one. “Uh, so, how’s your captain doing, Rukia? He recovering, okay? How about his partner? Captain Kyōraku ever come off whatever massive badass bender he went on?”

Rukia glanced at Byakuya, as though looking for a translation. When all she got was similarly baffled raised eyebrows from Byakuya, she turned back to Renji and asked, “What? I didn’t hear anything about that.”

“Oh.” Renji tugged on his ear. Was this something he was meant to keep to himself? Ah, too late now. “Er, Captain Ukitake just said something when I left the Thirteenth the other day that made me think maybe Captain Kyōraku had gone off on some serious drunk.”

Rukia laughed at that. “When doesn’t he?”

“Yeah, ha--” Renji said with an agreeable sort of laugh, but he didn’t feel it. It was Renji’s firm belief that Kyōraku played at drunk far more than he really was. But, it made sense that Rukia didn’t know that. Renji had a feeling most people didn’t.

Byakuya seemed similarly unconvinced, however. To Renji, he asked, “What exactly did Ukitake say? Do you remember?”

“He said he expected Captain Kyōraku to be drunk for a week after playing with shadows. Whatever that means.”

“Ah,” Byakuya said, as if he understood instantly. “I hadn’t heard that Kyōraku had brought out his bag of tricks in this battle. He hardly ever needs to. But, if the fight was hard won, it wouldn’t surprise me to hear he’s wrestling with his darkness.” Byakuya’s lips went thin, and then he added: “Demons often demand a heavy price, don’t they, Renji?”

Renji had been bringing a bit of fish to his mouth, but Byakuya’s words stopped him. Their gazes locked. Renji lifted his free hand, opened his palm, and made a motion to silently admonish Byakuya with a: ‘seriously? You’re bringing that up?’ When a challenging bellow echoed in Renji’s inner ear, Byakuya’s eyes widened as though he’d heard it too. So, Renji slid his gaze away and stuffed the fish in his mouth. Once he’d chewed it and swallowed it down, he added a noncommittal: “Yep. True that.”

Rukia made an ‘yeah, okay, it’s clear you guys are fighting’ nod, and stood up. “Speaking of the Thirteenth, I should get going while I can, especially since I need to be back here tonight for the continuing birthday festivities.”

Renji scrambled to his feet. 

Byakuya followed at a more sedate pace, and, if he was trying to apologize or ask Rukia to really stay, it fell as flat as his tone: “If you feel you must.”

Rukia looked at Renji. He shrugged. Somehow they were suddenly fighting so she might as well clear off and avoid the awkward. “See you around, Rukia.”

Her eyes went back and forth between the two of them and she let out a small sigh, as though she was disappointed. “Perhaps I’ll see you both tonight.”

“Perhaps.” Byakuya said.

He’d said it so ominously that Rukia’s eyes went very wide. She looked on the verge of actually asking if they were breaking up or something, so Renji stepped in and kind of half-lied: “I might have duty tonight, is all.”

“Oh, right,” Rukia said, sounding relieved. “Goodbye, nii-sama.”

Byakuya inclined his head. With that, she left. Renji wasted no time. Turning on Byakuya, getting right up in his face, Renji snarled, “I can’t believe you brought up the demon; the fuck?” His hands and body emphasized each point he spat out. “I thought we were over that.”

“I don’t believe we are,” Byakuya said coolly. Standing over the breakfast tray, Byakuya’s entire demeanor had taken on the blank, almost slack stance he often wore at official meetings. “Nor apparently have we resolved _anything_ else, given you felt the need to take a stab at me as well.”

Byakuya was a wall of stillness, which only made Renji want to fling himself around more. “Yeah, but, c’mon, you telling me that the bedroom is suddenly a class-free zone? Ain’t that half our problem?”

“It may be,” Byakuya said tersely. “However, you could have, for once, let that go, unremarked.” 

Yeah, okay, he could’ve. Renji wasn’t quite sure why that had bubbled up so suddenly. Maybe it was all this shit going down with the auntie, and the fact that Renji was feeling kind of sick of it all.

“I was, in point of fact, making an effort by saying so,” Byakuya continued. “You could’ve acknowledged that instead.” 

“I realized my mistake, okay? Hence the attempt to go on with other things,” Renji said, trying to keep the whine from his voice and only partly succeeding. “But, you’re the one who had to go and hit the demon thing, when I was trying to just fucking make conversation.”

“Yes,” Byakuya admitted. 

Renji waited, expecting something more. That was it? ‘Yes.’ 

He guessed that was Byakuya agreeing he’d made a mistake, but, cripes, no wonder they never talked about shit. Byakuya didn’t even argue like a normal person. Renji could feel himself losing traction, however, so maybe it wasn’t as much of a crap tactic as it seemed. 

Renji’s shoulders slumped and he backed up a step. “So, we ain’t over the demon thing? Is that what you’re saying?”

It baffled Renji a little, because nothing had come up between them for months. In his experience, that was a good as healed. Sure, he was still getting tied down, but wasn’t that just their thing now?

Byakuya let out a breath and his eyes flicked up, briefly, before returning to study the floor impassively. “I would like to say we were, but we had only begun to make progress before you were shipped out.”

“Progress. What’s to progress? I agreed to let you neuter us with Urahara’s weird-ass ‘Quincy condom.’ I ain’t won a fight since, I’ll have you know.” Renji was surprised by the hurt and vehemence in his own voice. “Rukia apparently can take out an Arrancar on her own, no bankai required, but I end up face-planted, having to wait for that creep-ass Kurotsuchi to rescue me. You can’t possibly still be worried you’re going to get Zabimaru cooties, can you? I mean, shit. I never had a chance against you to start with. How much lower you need me to be?”

“Yes,” Byakuya said again, with that same kind of finality. And, just when Renji thought that was going to be it, he added, “Yes, you see. We have a lot that needs working out.”

Renji let out his frustration with a snort out his nose. “I guess so. So, what do you want to do about it?”

“First,” Byakuya said, “I want to rid my household of a troublesome relative who has only served to wedge herself between us and make what is already difficult seem impossible. Then, I would like a long, hot soak in the sento with my lover. After that, I suppose, it will be up to us.”

It was shockingly reasonable. What else could Renji say? “Sounds good. Let’s do it.”

#

Confronting auntie apparently started with summoning Eishirō. Renji sat himself back down to finish up the breakfast leftovers and listen to Byakuya’s orders. 

“Round up her staff and have them prepare for immediate departure,” Byakuya said. “She will have no choice but to go, if her things leave without her.”

Eishirō glanced up from where he knelt at the door, “My lord?”

“My lady aunt crossed a line, Eishirō, as you know,” Byakuya explained, having somehow understood what was being asked. “She spit on Renji.”

“My lord,” this time the simple words were filled with something Renji couldn’t read, like maybe regret?

Byakuya raised a hand, again seeming to have some kind of telepathy with his manservant. “You could not have intervened, even if you had been there. I’m sure you’ve kept this to yourself, but…” Byakuya hesitated. Renji had his head down, scraping the last of the pickles from the pot. Sensing a pregnant pause, he glanced up to see, Byakuya looking at him meaningfully as he continued, “….if it were up to me, I would have the whole staff understand exactly why she’s being banished.”

It took a second for what Byakuya had said to register in Renji’s brain. Byakuya was actually waiting for permission. Renji blinked. Slowly, setting down the bowl, Renji cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah, go ahead, fire up the rumor mill. Don’t make no never mind to me.”

Byakuya’s lips went thin. “And yet now I’m confused. You tend towards double negatives when you’re upset. Is it truly all right for the staff to know Aunt Masama humiliated you in this way?”

“Humiliated me?” Renji scoffed around a mouthful of fish, “I felt far worse when she made me look the bully in front of your family. She was just showing off her true colors when she spit on me.”

“That is how I feel as well,” Byakuya nodded. To Eishirō, he added, “If the reason for this sudden departure were to circulate among the staff there would be no repercussions.”

“Understood, my lord,” Eishirō nodded with a kind of smirk. “It shall be as you say.”

#

After Eishirō had cleared out the tea tray and left, Renji slid Zabimaru into place at his hip. “Right-o,” he grinned, rubbing his hands together, “Now what?”

“Now we wait,” Byakuya said. Renji tried not to look as disappointed as he felt. Byakuya gave him a soft smile of understanding. Giving Renji’s arm a squeeze as he passed, Byakuya explained, “It will be a matter of minutes, you’ll see. But, going to her, is to enter her territory, to give her an advantage. She must come to me.”

Renji leaned his shoulder against the wall near the balcony door and crossed his arms in front of his chest, watching as Byakuya pulled a book from his end table and brought it back to the sitting room. Shaking his head, Renji said, “I can’t say I get all this political stuff. I’d be much more fun to kick her ass out the door. Literally.”

“Yes,” Byakuya agreed, settling himself primly in front of the fire. He took the book he’d gathered from the bedroom and propped it open in his lap. It was a studied pose of relaxation, however. Renji could feel the prickling thrum of Byakuya’s reiatsu against his own, flaring in anticipation of the confrontation. “But, you understand, of course, how that would be playing into her hands. I’m sure she considered that you or I might wish to retaliate in some manner, hence her efforts to look the victim at dinner last night.”

“You really think she thought that far in advance? Thought out all the actions, like that?”

“Of course,” Byakuya said, opening the book and choosing a page to pretend to study. “This is the first time many of my family has laid eyes on you. I’m sure she’s planted many rumors about you already. She knew the effect your physical presence would have on them, and she played on it.”

“Jeez, I feel like a moron,” Renji sighed.

“Don’t,” Byakuya said. Lifting a hand, he checked to make sure the kenseikan were in place. “There’s no shame in being beaten by a master. And, Aunt Masama is indeed a master of such games. She’s played us both against each other, as well.”

Renji nodded. Eishirō had cracked open the balcony door and the wind that came off the orchard had the bite of winter’s chill in it. The leafless cherry trees stood like stark, gnarled sentries on a snow-patched hill. 

“I shouldn’t have listened to her,” Byakuya said quietly. “I knew the purification ritual would hurt you.”

Renji’s gaze snapped back sharply. 

Byakuya kept his face turned away, his eyes studying his book. “I let Mayuri frighten me, as well.” Taking in a stiff breath, as though steeling himself, Byakuya turned his head slightly. Renji could just see downcast eyes and empty face framed by the inky forelocks jutting out from the kenseikan. “It’s because I’ve seen the demon, Renji—felt its hot breath on my neck. Still, I should not have let them hurt you for my cowardice.”

“Damn straight,” Renji snarled. “But, you ain’t never had anything to be afraid of, Taicho. You can literally crush me with a thought, with your reiatsu. My fangs can barely reach you.”

Turning his face away, Byakuya said, “The truth is your teeth were in my neck before I even knew you’d bared your fangs.”

“In your neck? More like I was nipping at your heels. I got none of the power in this relationship, never have. ”

Byakuya’s voice was like a stone dropped in a well. “You and I both know that’s a lie.” Renji started at that, but before he could react, Byakuya continued, “Have you forgotten how all this began? I wished only to do privately what Aunt Masama would have done publically—strip you, force you to bend to my will, my whim, and my desire. I’ve been a slave to my obsession to possess and own you from the first time I laid eyes on you.”

Was it wrong to feel kind of turned on right now? Renji shifted his feet, trying to decide if he should admit to how hot that made him or hold out for more. But, what was this? Some kind of twisted rationale—ala, you made me treat you like that by being so sexy?

Byakuya sighed, inclining his head in Renji’s direction again, “But these are my own demons to wrestle and I can only be grateful to your willfulness, your stubborn resilience, your inability to lay down when knocked back. You told me at the very beginning you would not be held down or held back. It’s taken this long for me to hear it. And, I still don’t always know how to…” Byakuya seemed to struggle for a moment. Then, looking away, added, “respect that properly.”

Scratching behind his ear, Renji said, “That is the most roundabout apology I’ve heard in my entire life… at least, I think it was an apology. Honestly, I don’t even know what the hell you’re saying sorry for any more—the Purification Rite or the whole relationship.”

Byakuya huffed a laugh. “Whichever you’ll accept.”

Renji crossed his arms in front of his chest again. “Well, I ain’t accepting an apology for the whole damn thing, because I liked some parts of it, loved the sex, and, you know, we was just talking about the demon. I got stuff to answer for, too.”

“Indeed,” Byakuya said, and even with his face turned away, Renji heard the gentle smile in his voice. “Do you remember, when I--?”

Before Byakuya could finish, Eishirō said, “My lord, your aunt, the Lady—“

But, Masama had already shoved the door aside. “My people have been told to pack! What’s the meaning of this, Byakuya?”

“I have given myself a birthday present. Your absence.”

Byakuya said it so calmly that it even took Renji a second to parse it. Then, once he did, he had to cover his chuckle with a fake cough. 

Masama’s eyes honed in on Renji’s small noise. “You! You’re no doubt responsible for this farce.”

Renji gave her a toothy grin, “I do believe it’s all on you, ma’am.”

“Agreed,” Byakuya said, deliberately turning the page in his book, as though he were bored by this whole discussion already.

She sputtered. “You forget. I have evidence that that, that—“ she was pointing at Renji with a shaking finger, “that, monster is more than un-pure. He’s tainted. And, he brings the whole clan down with him any time he—“

“It is you who forgets,” Byakuya said. His calm voice cut deep like the slender, seemingly harmless blades of Senbonzakura. “It is **my** clan to build or destroy, at my pleasure.”

That stopped her for a moment, but she recovered, “You think I won’t bring up charges of assault against your person, but I will.”

“Do as you feel best,” Byakuya said, disinterested.

She started grasping. Renji saw her eyes dart away from him, to flick around the room as if to find some anchor in a tumultuous sea. “I’ll take the heir with me.”

“You are welcome to try,” Byakuya offered. “Though, again, you forget yourself. It is I who has an army at my back.”

Renji pushed himself off the wall and stood up straighter. He rested a hand on Zabimaru, just because.

She visibly paled. Then her eyes narrowed, “I won’t be pushed out.”

“You may stay as long as you wish,” Byakuya said, and she looked almost relieved, until he said, “But, your ladies, your servants, and your things leave today, with or without you.”

Byakuya went back to reading, or at least flipping the pages at random intervals. Aunt Masama stood fuming for several, long moments. Her fists clenched and unclenched. “You’re leading us to ruin, you know. You act like it’s unimportant but all you’ve done from the moment you brought that Inuzuri whore back here was pollute our line, disgrace us. You couldn’t even man up to produce a child, though I suppose I should be grateful for that small miracle.”

“I may have lost Hisana because I caved and agreed to the Purification,” Byakuya said softly, and Renji knew, from the tilt of Byakuya’s head, that information was meant for him more than for Aunt Masama.

Aunt Masama seized on that and continued to try to provoke Byakuya with more trash talk about Hisana. “Then I’m glad you did. Better that bitch died than further sully our clan.” 

And that was just the start. She kept digging and digging, throwing knife after verbal knife.

Renji tried to tune her out. Byakuya looked to be having more success, if you judged only by his surface expression. But, Renji could feel a resonating thrum of reiatsu every time a barb landed. It was painful to watch, but it was clear the message was ‘don’t interrupt, let her blow off steam, ignore her.’ Renji found himself shutting his eyes, gripping tightly to Zabimaru. Byakuya’s reiatsu trembled, like she might actually defeat him with her horrible words.

 _I wish there were something I could do for him_ , Renji thought. 

_There is, you fool,_ the baboon king snarled.

 _Let us coil around him, like Hihio_ , hissed the snake.

 _You mean, like imagine it?_ Renji asked. _Is that going to work?_

_It’s guaranteed not to, if you don’t try._

There was that. Taking a deep breath, Renji tried to summon up the memory of bankai without actually triggering it. Truth was, he kind of sucked at pretend, but he gave it a shot. In his mind, he pictured wrapping Byakuya inside the protective circle of Zabimaru’s bony spine, like building a brick wall–bone by bone, scale by scale, all wrapped in a blanket of kidō. 

Out loud he whispered, “I’ve got your back, babe.”

Even if it didn’t entirely work, Byakuya must have felt Renji’s effort because his back straightened ever so slightly. Cutting off Masama’s vitriol mid-stream, Byakuya let out an extremely rude, long yawn. Then he acted as though he’d been deeply engrossed in his book and suddenly realized she was still talking, “Surely, your belongings are halfway to your home by now. You should hurry if you wish to catch up with them.”

“But, I—I…”

Byakuya made a dismissive gesture with his hand, “If you need an escort, Renji can show you the door.”

Renji gave a respectful bow, filled with as much sarcasm as he could put into his body language. Then, he smiled toothily and added, “It’d be my honor, Lady Kuchiki.”

“I will find my own way out,” she sniffed.

“If you insist,” Byakuya said, disinterestedly.

“Oh, I do,” she shrilled, and, with that, she smartly stomped away.

Once the door slid shut, Byakuya’s shoulders slumped. When it looked like he might literally go facedown into the tatami, Renji all but leapt the distance and caught Byakuya up in his arms. 

_Do that thing again_ , Zabimaru, Renji begged. 

_Moron, you’re already doing it_ , the snake-tail spat.

It seemed Renji was. Unconsciously and instinctively, his reiatsu had reached out to support Byakuya again. Only this time, Renji could sense Byakuya responding. Just as Byakuya’s fingers reached up to cling to Renji’s kosode and he laid his head on Renji’s shoulder, Byakuya’s spiritual pressure spiraled up and seemed to clasp and embrace Renji’s. “You’re getting better at this,” Byakuya murmured into the silk at Renji’s collarbone. “I felt your support.”

“Heh, well, it was Zabimaru’s idea.”

“I see,” there was a little nod of acknowledgment that, maybe, the demon wasn’t all bad. “Like the poetry?”

“Yeah, just like,” Renji smiled. He let a hand that was encircling Byakuya’s back, slowly, gently make comforting circles on Byakuya’s shoulder blade. “You okay?”

Byakuya took in a steadying breath. “Perhaps I fear you because you know how weak I truly am.”

Renji snorted. “Idiot. Kyōraku told me once that you’d be scared of this, being weakened by love. But, that ain’t how it works.”

Renji could feel Byakuya’s smile even though his tone was snappish: “Well, then, how does it work?”

Pulling back so he could see Byakuya’s face, Renji said, “Fuck if I know.” When Byakuya opened his mouth to retort, Renji swept down and captured it up. He sucked on lower lip until Byakuya opened for a deeper kiss. Renji let his tongue do what their reiatsu was doing, twining and teasing and dancing together. When he came up for air, he smiled: “But I’m pretty sure it starts like this.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks go to Josey who took time out of her epic to typo this and cheerlead and all the things.


End file.
